The signed enhanced principal rank characteristic sequence

AbstractThe signed enhanced principal rank characteristic sequence (sepr-sequence) of an Hermitian matrix is the sequence , where is either , , , , , , or , based on the following criteria: if B has both a positive and a negative order-k principal minor, and each order-k principal minor is nonzero. (respectively, ) if each order-k principal minor is positive (respectively, negative). if each order-k principal minor is zero. if B has each a positive, a negative and a zero order-k principal minor. (respectively, ) if B has both a zero and a nonzero order-k principal minor, and each nonzero order-k principal minor is positive (respectively, negative). Such sequences provide more information than the epr-sequence in the literature, where the kth term is either , , or based on whether all, none, or some (but not all) of the order-k principal minors of the matrix are nonzero. Various sepr-sequences are shown to be unattainable by Hermitian matrices. In particular, by applying Muir’s law of extensible minors, it...